In This Together
by JustNotNormal
Summary: Two cities, Athens and Atlantis, have been feuding for as long as either can remember, but what will happen when princess Annabeth of Athens and prince Perseus of Atlantis are both kidnapped and find themselves thrown together, and in mortal danger? Will they get over their differences and become friends? Or will the feud keep them apart? AU, please give it a read!
1. Chapter 1

**So hey, this is my new story! It's AU, so no demigods. Okay, please give it a try!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except plot, blah blah blah whatever.**

I woke up, as usual, in my enormous bed, climbed out, pulled on a thin white dressing gown, and walked out onto the balcony overlooking the great city of Athens, city of Athena, of which I am princess. It was a beautiful city, set in a valley filled with buildings of creamy yellow sandstone and white marble. The palace, where I lived, lay on top of the mountain above the city, far out of harm's way. The city, including the palace, was surrounded by a high wall, on all sides but the one which was on the coast, on the opposite side of the city to the mountain on which I lived. I could see the glittering, perfect blue ocean brimming with trade vessels going in and out of the port, the bustling morning markets, and the tiny people rushing through the narrow, twisting streets. Even from so far away, I could hear the faint clatter of carriage wheels over the cobbled ground.

"Miss Annabeth?" I spun around to see my new maid poking her head around the door. "Your father wishes to speak to you and you have been summoned to the dining room." She squeaked. She had only been working here for a week, but was already accustomed to the way things worked.

"Of course." I replied, walking to the enormous carved wardrobe that stood in the corner of the room and throwing open the doors. Hundreds of beautiful gowns for all occasions flooded my vision, but I selected a simple blue gown with a white sash around the middle, and slipped into it behind the screen in the corner of the room. When I was dressed, I sat at the vanity table while the maid combed out my blonde curls so that they hung past my shoulders, and slid my silver tiara onto my head. She slipped my feet into flat white slippers, because she already knows my great dislike of heels.

"Thank you. You may go, now." She nodded and curtseyed, then left the room. I slipped my bronze dagger inside its hilt, then hid it up my sleeve. It was a gift, and I always keep it with me. Not wishing to anger my father, King Frederick, I hurried down the grand staircase to the dining room, where he, my mother, Queen Athena (not her actual name, but a name given to all queens in our city to honour our goddess), and my brothers, Princes Bobby and Matthew were sat waiting, their food not yet served. I slid into my seat next to Matthew.

"Good morning." I said politely, addressing the whole table.

"Annabeth, your new tutor is coming today. You are to meet him in the gardens after breakfast." My father instructed, as the butlers brought in the freshly prepared food. A messenger burst through the door, not even stopping to bow, and handed my father a message in a white envelope. With careful fingers, he slit the top of the envelope and tugged out the letter inside, frowning once he had read the contents.

"A few Atlantis citizens managed to get past the guards last night. It seems they were trying to reach the palace. They were, however, caught, but not before they caused several injuries among our people." I should explain. Atlantis, the city of Poseidon, is a neighbouring city to Athens. The royal family of Atlantis and my family have been feuding for almost a thousand generations, and no one can remember why, though there are countless rumours. The people of both cities hate each other, though we must put up with each other. Although I have never met the Atlantis royal family, I know that the King and Queen, Poseidon (called Poseidon for the same reasons my mother is called Athena) and Sally, have one son, Prince Perseus, who is my age. One day, when I am Queen (Even though I am a girl, I am the oldest child and I was granted Athena's blessing as an infant, therefore I will one day rule over Athens), I hope to find out what caused this feud.

"Annabeth!" My father's angry roar cut through my thoughts, and I dropped my fork to the table with a clatter.

"Insolent girl! You will listen to me when I am speaking!" His rages had frightened me since I was a child.

"I apologise, father." I replied meekly.

"Your father was talking about your birthday celebrations next week." My mother spoke calmly, gazing soothingly at me with the stormy grey eyes that she had passed on to me. My father had regained composure, and spoke more quietly this time, though his voice was still cold.

"You must sort out the invitations after your lessons. I have written a list of suitable companions."

"Yes, father." I groaned inwardly. Soon, my father would be forcing an arranged marriage upon me, selecting a suitor to share, and ultimately take over my duty as future Queen of Athens, because a girl could not possibly handle running a city now, could she?

"Annabeth, your tutor will be waiting." I left my half eaten breakfast and excused myself from the dining room, ignoring my father's angry muttering as I stormed through the hallway and onto the sun baked stone path of the garden.

My new tutor was waiting in the garden pavilion, and stood and bowed in greeting when he saw me hurrying in his direction. He had shiny black hair, and an eye patch over one eye, embroidered with the Athens symbol, a grey owl.

"Good morning, Princess Annabeth. I am Ethan, your new tutor." I held out my hand, and allowed him to kiss it, as I had been taught to do by my nurse.

"My lady, I have been told that you are the most intelligent lady in all of Greece, is this true?" I blushed, smoothing down my skirts.

"I could not say." I replied, embarrassed.

"We will just have to find out, won't we?" He smiled. "Will you take a walk with me?" I nodded, and we walked out of the pavilion and to the lake, right on the edge of the palace grounds.

"What beautiful grounds these are, my lady."

"Thank you. They were built hundreds of years ago, by the first king of Athens." I gazed around at the sparkling lake, the small boats tethered at the pontoon in front of us and the birds soaring through the bright blue sky above. Suddenly, I heard the familiar sound of metal whipping through the air and I leapt to the side, very narrowly avoiding the long bronze sword carving through the air. In less than a second, my dagger was in my hand, and I was ready to fight.

"Oh, the lady can fight?" Ethan asked mockingly, a sneer scarring his previously friendly face.

"Yes, she can." I said savagely, blocking every one of his attacks easily.

"I admit, you are quite good – for a girl." Anger coursed through me like fire, and I attacked viciously, slicing the air, the clash of metal on metal filling the air. Beads of sweat appeared on Ethan's face, and I smiled victoriously, still fighting with all my might. His sword sliced my arm, and I felt blood spill over my skin, but I ignored it.

"I have more than one way of capturing you, Annabeth, if you will not come quietly." He said gruffly. I didn't reply, dismissing that as an empty threat. Suddenly, he whistled. The bushes behind me rustled and I whirled around, only realising my mistake as I felt Ethan's broad arm catch around my neck. I struggled in vain. He was much stronger than me. I sensed someone else behind me, and struggled harder.

"Stay still," Ethan hissed in my ear. I ignored him. A sudden sharp pain in my neck made me cry out, and I saw a needle in Ethan's free hand. Dull realisation washed over me as the light faded. I was, most probably, dead.

**So there you have it!  
Please review, follow and favourite! Any of these will receive free virtual cookies (::)(::)(::)  
PM me any questions you have, I'd be happy to answer them or just chat!  
Also, if you don't mind me casually advertising, please check out my other Percy Jackson fanfiction, Whispers in the Dark.  
I will post the next chapter in a week or so! K BYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey, thank you guys for the great response to the first chapter of this story!  
This chapter is a bit shorter, so sorry about that!  
Thanks to my editor and BFF CR3ATIV3, go check her out, she's awesome.  
Enjoy!**

I was riding through the streets of Atlantis in the royal carriage. As the carriage bumped along the cobbled streets, people crowded around the open window, trying to get a good look at the Prince of Atlantis. After a particularly jolting bump, I readjusted the golden crown sat on top of my messy black hair, and waved cheerfully at the crowd outside.

"Prince Perseus, you do not wave like a commoner." Chided my mentor, Chiron.

"Sorry, Chiron, but I never get to talk to any of our subjects. How can they trust me to run the city in the future if they don't know me at all?"

"That is true, Perseus, but please, watch your manners. Your mother will be very angry if she finds out." I slumped back into the plush seat of the carriage, pulling the window shut which effectively blocked out the noise of the street outside.

"Where are we going?" I asked miserably.

"Fishing."

"Why?"

"Because I'm leaving tomorrow, you know this already Perseus."

"I still don't see why you can't stay, Chiron." I complained.

"I am too old to teach you now. You are to have a younger, fitter teacher."

"I don't want a new teacher. I am almost seventeen now."

"I know that, Perseus. This new teacher is only for a while, once you turn eighteen, you will no longer need any kind of mentor." Chiron had been my mentor since I was a baby. He taught me everything I know. He was the best teacher anyone could ever have, and he wasn't even that old! Couldn't he hold out for one more year?

"Please, Chiron."

"These are your father's orders. I am sorry." I rested my head against the window, feeling the cold of the glass seeping into my forehead.

"Cheer up, it is not manly to sulk." Chiron corrected.

I sighed, and sat up straighter.

"There. Come, Perseus, we have arrived."

I stepped down onto the familiar mossy ground, gazing around at the familiar scenery. We were standing on the same river bank that I had been fishing at since I was five years old.

"Have you got the rods?" I asked.

"They are in the carriage." The driver had parked the carriage a little way from the edge of the river. I strode over to it and pulled open the door.

"Aah!" I yelled tripping backwards as two men leapt from the carriage, brandishing swords. I pulled Riptide, my sword, from my belt, and stood, hoping I could take on both men, though it was unlikely.

"Chiron!" I yelled. There was no answer.

"He can't help you now, Prince." One of the men, shorter than the other with spiky black hair and broad shoulders, sneered.

"Are you from Athens?" I asked, still stood in a fighting stance, never letting my guard down.

"Not at all." Who were they then? And why weren't they attacking?

"Are you going to fight me or not?" I said impatiently. The shorter of the men turned to face the other, shrugged then lunged at me smirking as I blocked every one of his attacks. I had to admit, he was pretty good - but I'd been training with this sword since I was five. I wasn't sure if I could hold both of the men off at the same time. The other man started attacking my other side. He was obviously more skilled that the other guy, but I could hold them both off, though not for long. Sweat beaded on my forehead, and I wiped it away angrily. The taller guy smirked.

"Is your majesty tired?" He asked mockingly. I spat an ugly curse at him.

"Where did you learn to swear like that?" He chuckled, lunging forward again. I blocked him, but only just. I was out of practise. Chiron was getting old, and I could beat him easily, so I hadn't had a challenge for a long, long time.

"Who sent you?" I spat, thrusting my sword at the shorter man.

"Oh, you'll find out soon enough."

"Not if you can't catch me," I muttered.

But we will. We will catch you, one way or another." One of the men said sinisterly. Everything was a blur of swords and river and muddy grass underfoot. I pushed myself harder, glad of the hours of practise I had put in, even without a proper trainer. The men must have been quite stupid, they should have realised the most obvious option. One of the men disappeared, back towards the carriage, and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up in apprehension, finally I could escape. As I fought, the other guy moved slowly back, if I was fast enough I could've sprinted off into the woods, but just as I was about to run, the other man came along dragging Chiron under his arm. The man pointed his sword at Chiron's neck and raised his eyebrow. As I lowered my sword slowly the man dug his sword deep into Chiron's chest.  
"No!" I cried, watching Chiron go limp in the man's arms.  
"Beat them," Chiron said in a hoarse voice before the man stabbed him again. A feeling of hatred rose in my chest, like a dragon. I had to kill them. I prepared to charge back at the men, but suddenly the world around me tipped sideways. I heard a deep chuckle, and felt a sharp pain in my neck. I was dragged to my feet, Riptide lying on the floor just out of reach. My feet dragged along the ground as I was half carried, half pulled into the back of their own carriage. The colours around me faded into blackness, and all I could hear was the slowing thump of my own heart.

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	3. Chapter 3

**Hello again! Thank you for the absolutely amazing response to this story so far, you guys are beautiful!**

All I could feel was pain. Pain in my arm where the sword had cut, pain in my neck where the needle had stabbed me, and the aches that come with sleeping on hard ground in an awkward position for extended amounts of time. I opened my eyes and sat up groggily, rubbing my sore eyes. Wherever I was, it was dark. There was a smell of damp and dirt in the air, and everything was silent. I was lying on the hard floor, the stench of damp strong in my nose. My dagger was gone from my belt. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I looked around the rest of the room. It was quite small, with walls and ceiling of dark grey blocks and a floor of hard, grey stone slabs. There was a wide, menacing metal door with light filtering through from the gap underneath it. The only other thing in the room was a small rectangular hole covered with thin metal bars, probably used for ventilation. A sudden sound cut through the silence - a low, pain filled moan from the corner. I practically jumped out of my skin when I noticed the slumped figure in the corner of the room. I was not alone.  
"Hello?" I said in a hoarse whisper, my throat sore from not being used. There was no reply. I stood up, my legs shaking, and crossed the room to the figure on the floor, my hair, which had escaped for its knot, tumbling down my back.

"Hello?" I repeated softly. I heard another low moan in reply. The figure on the floor shifted slightly, so that I could see his face. He was a boy, about my age, with messy raven black hair. He was wearing brown trousers and a well-made blue shirt with short sleeves. His face was quite familiar. Where had I seen him before...?

_Today was a very important day. The royal families of Athens and Atlantis had agreed to participate in a peace meeting, which would hopefully end this age-old feud. As I was only fifteen, and not yet old enough to be a member of the Athens royal council, I had to make do with eavesdropping through the large wooden doors at the end of the hall. I stood, my ear pressed to the keyhole, as a boy approached cautiously. He had jet black hair and bright, mischievous sea green eyes, and a golden crown sat jauntily on his head. He came closer, eyeing me nervously, but I simply moved slightly and let him join me. Together we listened at the keyhole, desperate to hear of the end of the argument that had separated our two cities for so long. Ten minutes later, the soft talking in the hall descended into mayhem, and King Poseidon and Queen Sally stormed from the hall, grabbing the boy's arm and dragging him after them..._

"Prince Perseus?" I muttered, disbelievingly. Why did it have to be him? Anyone but him... I was snapped out of the memory by movement below me. Perseus was squinting up at me with those bright sea green eyes.  
"Where are we? What's going on?" He croaked. I stepped back as he stood up, taking in the tiny space. He was about six feet tall, much taller than me, and he looked toned and in shape, even though he was pale.  
"I don't know." I replied reluctantly. Why, why, why... We were supposed to be mortal enemies, and now I was being kept in a confined space with him?  
"Wait... Don't I know you?" He asked, coughing slightly. His voice was deep and rough from sleep.  
"I am Princess Annabeth of Athens. I know who you are." I introduced myself stiffly.  
"No, no, no, this can't be happening..." He ran his hands through his hair in frustration, pacing across the cell.  
"I'm not exactly thrilled either." I said dryly. Perseus pounded at the door in vain, then threw himself against the wall. I had to admit, his anger was rather comical.  
"Oh, calm down." I told him, slightly annoyed by his childish behaviour. "Look, there's nothing we can do now, except think of a plan to escape." I said, more calmly. Perseus gave me a look of pure hatred, obviously natural, giving his...parentage.  
"Fine then," I sat back and closed my eyes. I started to reflect on the day's events in my mind, I thought about my parents, my brothers and how they must've been feeling. Would they know I was gone yet? Would they realise that it had been Ethan, or would they think we'd both been kidnapped?  
I looked over to see Perseus, still sat in the corner. My vision was blurred so I wiped my eyes. I had been crying, I don't know how long, but I had been crying. My eyes were sore, so I must've been crying for a while. I pushed the thoughts of my family to the back of my head and tried to think of something else, something pleasant. My birthday. _If I even lived that long,_ a little voice in my head said sweetly. Now that my eyes were closed, my thoughts took over my mind. _I'm trapped in a cell with one of my parent's worst enemies, my worst enemy. How am I calm? How is he calm? _I would normally panic in that situation but I didn't. But that was when the panic hit me, _I could die, I've been kidnapped, anything could happen._ I ignored the thoughts, but they kept drifting lazily through my mind, like clouds. _Anything could happen; I'll just have to take it as it comes. _I sat miserably, doing what I'd always been best at: trying to make a plan.

**Sorry for the length. So yeah, Percy and Annabeth have been forced to meet again! What will happen next? Who knows? Oh, wait! I do! ;)**

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	4. Chapter 4

**Hey again!**

I woke up from an awful night's sleep, still slumped with my back against the wall, my muscles aching from the awkward position I had slept in. Annabeth was still asleep, curled on the floor. There was a small gash on her arm, crusted with dried blood. Her face was covered by her loose hair. She hated me. I wanted to hate her. Yet we were stuck in a cold, damp, stone cell together.

I didn't know what time it was, there were no windows or light in this room excepts the tiny rays of light filtering through from under the door. I missed the fresh ocean breeze that hung in my huge room at the palace. I wondered if my father had sent out a search party yet. Had he even noticed I was gone? Was Chiron okay? What would happen to us now? Countless questions swirled around my brain, making it throb.

I was thirsty and hungry, but there was nothing to eat or drink in here, the last time I was fed was last night. There was a huge bang on the door, making me jump. It opened with a creak and a guard stepped in, throwing a chunk of brown bread and a tiny bottle of nectar were passed through. I ripped the small piece of bread in half, I ate mine and passed the other to Annabeth, along with the nectar.  
"For your arm," I said quietly. She took it, not saying a thing. I then sat back down in the corner, eating my food in little bits, chewing it slowly to make it last longer. When I was finished, even though it had barely dented my hunger, I started to drift off to sleep.

I woke suddenly, stood up painfully and stretched out my sore muscles. Annabeth snuffled quietly in her sleep and rolled over, the hair falling from her face. She looked like a ghost, condemned to a life in the dark and damp. She was shivering slightly. I slid down the wall and started scratching at the dark stone to pass the time. Annabeth sat up suddenly, snapping me out of the thoughts whirling round inside my head.  
"Good morning." I said gruffly. She ignored me, and started combing her hair with her fingers. She brushed some of the dried blood from her arm, wincing slightly as she did so. She stood up, brushing down her dress. Her hands went to her head, as if to adjust her tiara, but she seemed to remember that it was gone, and her hands went slowly back down to her sides. A noise made my head snap around to the door. The lock clicked and the door swung open. Two men dressed in dark shirts and trousers, like a uniform, strode into the room and one grabbed Annabeth's arm. She struggled, but the man wrenched her arm sideways and she yelped quietly and stopped struggling. I stood up, moving to try and help her, but the other man pushed me back to the floor. Annabeth avoided my eyes as she was pulled from the room.

I sat in apprehensive silence, waiting for something, anything, to happen for a time that could have been seconds, minutes or hours, until I heard a sound that made my blood run cold. Screams. Annabeth's screams. The sound was so agonising, so horrific, that I lost all hope. We were going to die here. We were never going to make it out. My head fell back against the cold wall behind me and I closed my eyes, imagining the sun in the bright blue Greek sky that I might never see again.

I was still lost in my own despair when the door creaked open and a limp figure was dragged in by two guards. They dumped her unceremoniously to the floor, where she fell to her knees and sobbed, her arms hugged around herself and her hair falling around her shoulders. I didn't move. She didn't look harmed in any way, but I couldn't see her other side.

"Annabeth?" I asked quietly. She ignored me. The guard at the door dropped something on the floor and slammed to door. I hopped off the bed and hurried over to see what it was. A chunk of dark, rough bread and a tiny glass bottle of glittering golden liquid, which I recognised as nectar, the healing potion common in Atlantis. I ripped the bread in half, brushing off the dirt from the bottom, and placed one piece, as well as the nectar, on the floor next to Annabeth, who was now silent.

Slowly and quietly, she picked up the bread and picked at the bottom with a fingernail. I realised that I had, subconsciously; already eaten half of the bread, but my hunger was barely dented. Annabeth had moved to the corner of the room, nibbling bits of bread tentatively, her arm wrapped around her legs, pulling them closer to her body.

A deep cut ran across her arm where the cut had been before. How could they hurt her? She was just a defenceless teenage girl... And if they could do that to her, what would they do to me?

A pair of guards burst into the cell after what felt like a few hours of more uncomfortable silence. I wasn't surprised when they came for me, not to say that I went willingly. I struggled with all my strength, but obviously it was no use. As I was dragged out of the room, I saw Annabeth looking at me with a fearful and sympathetic look, which quickly disappeared when our eyes met. The door slammed with a huge bang behind me, leaving me with no chance to go back in. Before, I wanted to leave more than anything but now, I just want to be back in the nice, safe cell.

I was dragged through endless dark corridors and up painfully long flights of stairs until the walls opened up into a large hall. I was pulled to the middle of the space and dumped on the floor. My arms were wrenched back and held there as handcuffs bound my wrists together, the harsh metal digging into my skin.

"Prince Perseus." A voice boomed above me. I looked up to see an immensely tall, burly man with dark, evil eyes and black hair. He looked... Familiar somehow...

"Who are you? Why am I here?" I asked gruffly.

"Your little... Enemy down in the cell asked me the same thing. I am Kronos. Your father doesn't deserve to rule Atlantis. Neither does hers. Without their pretty little prince, who will take over from them? All they have to do is hand over control, and you will be returned safely. If they don't give me control, I'll kill you, and eventually become king in your place. As for the pretty little princess, I have big plans for her." He smiled evilly, his eyes hard and unforgiving.

"What do you want from me?" I spat angrily.

"Now? I'm getting to know my prisoners." He practically purred, stroking the hilt of a silver dagger in his belt.

"By torturing them?" I muttered, half to myself.

"What did you think I was going to do, buy you tea and cake and ask about your weekend?" He chuckled softly. "I can do whatever I want with you. I could kill you right now, if I wanted to." But he couldn't do that. Not yet. He needed me for his plan. I opened my mouth to tell him so.

"Don't answer me back!" He roared, pulling the dagger from his belt at lightning speed and slashing it across my shoulder, slicing through my shirt and into my skin. I winced in pain, clenching my jaw and scrunching up my fists against the pain. Kronos dragged the dagger slowly down across my collarbone. I felt blood trickling down my chest, soaking my shirt with sticky red liquid.

"See? There is no one here to help you. You have no power here." He sheathed the dagger and beckoned the two guards forward. I scrunched my eyes shut, staring at the floor and trying to block out the pain, as they pulled me up and pulled me back to the cell.

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	5. Chapter 5

**It's almost Christmas!**

I jumped to my feet as the door was unlocked, and Perseus, his shirt soaked in blood, was pushed in. He staggered to the edge of the room and sat with his back to the wall, looking darkly, and worriedly, at me. Through his torn shirt I could see a long gash running across his collarbone, much worse than the cut on my arm, which was now mostly healed due to the nectar. I pulled the half empty bottle from my dagger sheath where I had hidden it, and held it out to him.

"You saved it?" He asked gruffly, reaching his hand up to retrieve it from me.

"Of course I did. Athena always has a plan." I replied quietly. He drank the remaining nectar – about one mouthful – from the bottle and slumped back against the wall as the pain subsided. I rubbed my arm subconsciously, wincing as my hand ran over the partially healed wound.

"Do you-" Perseus started, then seemed to think better of it. Perhaps it hadn't been very strategic of me, dismissing his attempts at friendship? We were stuck here together, after all.

"What is it?" I asked gently, encouraging him to go on.

"Do you know what Kronos has planned for you?" He asked. Did he know?

"I-" I started, then stopped abruptly, feeling tears well up in my eyes. "No. He- he wouldn't tell me." I lied, deciding at the last second not to tell him the truth – that, once I had turned seventeen in two weeks, he would force me to marry him, then, once it was all official, he would kill me. That way, when my parents die, he would take the throne of Athens. And there was nothing I could do to stop him. My parents wouldn't be able to argue with an official marriage, and then I would probably be disposed of. Perseus would probably be dead too. .No plan could save me.

-Line break-

Blood swirled around my body, the sounds of blood curdling screams filling my ears. I was bound in the white fabric of a wedding dress, the fabric tied around me like a straightjacket. I twisted and turned, trying to escape the fiery prison in which I was trapped, but it was no use. There was no escape. More screams filled the air, and I realised that they were my own. Iron tendrils wrapped around me, holding me still, and I thrashed around trying to free myself, but suddenly, the blood was gone. So were the screams. All that was left was darkness, and the strong limbs encompassing me in a strong embrace. Tears were streaking down my face. I fell still, relief washing over me. It wasn't real. None of it was real. My panting breaths slowed.

"Annabeth?" I heard a familiar voice ask in a whisper from right next to my ear. I froze, realising who it was holding me.

"Perseus." I replied, still crying, partly from fear, partly from overwhelming relief.

"Call me Percy. Are you okay? You were screaming and thrashing... I thought you were going to hurt yourself, so..." He explained quietly.

"Thank you. And I'm sorry I was mean earlier."

"It's okay. We're not supposed to be friends. You were probably right to ignore me." I appreciated him trying to make me feel better, but I still felt guilty that I had been so horrible when he was being so kind to me.

"No, it was wrong of me. You were right." He started untangling his arms from around me and moving away, and I immediately felt fear and cold seeping into back my skin.

"Wait- stay. I- I don't want the nightmares to come back." I said tentatively. Percy exhaled softly, and I realised it was a soft laugh. He slid closer, his arms back around me.

"So I take it we're friends now." I smiled, wiping my watery eyes. In the darkness, I could just see his sea green eyes gazing at me across the tiny space between us. I closed my eyes, my heart finally slowing back to a normal speed as the warmth and steady sound of Percy's breathing lulled me back to sleep.

Percy POV

I was woken up by Annabeth moving in her sleep, still held in my arms. The arm underneath her had fallen asleep, and I wriggled it out, trying not to wake her. I was unsuccessful. With a small yawn, she opened her eyes, blinking slowly as she looked over at me.

"Good morning." I said sleepily. She smiled.

"That was the best I've ever slept." She said, yawning again.

"Same here." I replied, smiling at her. Though I could barely see her in the dim light filtering through from underneath the door, her sleepy, stormy grey eyes were very pretty. She sat up, brushing off her dress and combing out her loose blonde curls with her fingers.

"So, what do you think Kronos has in store for us today?" I said dryly, sitting up.

"Who knows?" Annabeth replied bitterly, a look of sadness and anger replacing her smile.

"We'll be fine." I said in what I hoped was a reassuring tone, partly for Annabeth, but partly for myself.

"Yes." Annabeth said blankly. I was about to ask her what was wrong, but was interrupted by the familiar click of the lock. A young man walked in, staring warily at me as he walked towards Annabeth, who shrank back against the wall, her eyes locked angrily on the stranger.

"You!" She hissed angrily.

"Me." He confirmed amusedly.

"Who are you?" I asked, nonplussed, getting up to stand between the mysterious guy and Annabeth.

"That," Annabeth spat, glaring at the guy, "is the man who kidnapped me from my own gardens and brought me here."

"That's me. Ethan Nakamura." He said coldly. "Now move. King Kronos wishes to see the girl."

"No." I said plainly.

"I can use force." Ethan warned me.

"I'm so afraid." I said sarcastically. Ethan drew a sword from inside his coat and pressed the tip to my chest.

"Move."

"Percy, I'll just go." Annabeth stood up and sidestepped around me. Ethan grabbed her arm roughly, and Annabeth jerked away from his reach.

"Don't touch me." She warned. Ethan chuckled, a low mirthless sound, grabbing both of Annabeth's arms and wrenching them behind her back. I saw her visibly wince.

"Lead on, princess." Ethan mocked, forcing Annabeth out of the door and locking it behind him.

**So… Percabeth anyone? **

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**See you all after Christmas!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry it's a little bit late and not much happens in this one, but my laptop got broken and until it gets fixed I have to steal my Dad's, and I had to rewrite this one from scratch, so please forgive me?**

I was dragged through the dark and musty corridors and forced into the same cavernous hall that I had been taken to yesterday. Even in my current situation, I couldn't help but notice the ornately decorated ceiling far above, painted with colourful scenes that I realised were of the gods and their acts. Ethan pulled me into the middle of the middle of the hall, directly in front of the oversized throne at the top of the room.

Kronos strode across the floor towards me, and stood in front of me, much too close for comfort.

"How did you sleep last night, little princess?" He asked mockingly. I stayed silent and stared at the grey flagstones, holding in the fear and anger that threatened to burst out if I tried to say anything. Kronos grabbed my chin, jerking my face upwards so that I was forced to look at him.

"Don't ignore me." He said in a dangerously quiet voice, his face just inches from mine. I remained quiet.

"Have you thought upon your choice any more?" What a wonderful choice I had been given. Be killed or marry this pig and live, though for how long before he got bored of me and killed me anyway?

"Choosing between death and a life of misery and suffering with you is no choice at all." I spat bitterly. I would have to marry him, he would force me to anyway, but I wouldn't tell him that.

"You'll have to choose eventually. I'd make it quick, or I'll make you choose." He spoke menacingly.

"I will not choose." I said simply. As quick as a flash, Kronos's hand let go of my face, then swung back and slapped me with such force that I fell to the ground. Tears stung my eyes but I refused to let them out, and I cradled my cheek in my hand.

"I have other ways of making you choose than just asking you nicely." He raged, venom lacing his words. My cheek stung where he had slapped me, and I could almost feel the bruise blossoming over my skin.

"You won't be so high and mighty after you hear what I have to tell you. I sent a ransom note to your family, and you know what they said? They won't pay it! They don't care about you!" I stared at the ground below me, the information washing over me without really sinking in. I heard the clattering of shoes on stone as someone approached and pulled me up, pulling my arms behind my back again.

"Until next time, Annabeth." Kronos called as I was pushed from the room and down into the dark corridors that led to our cell. I was still reeling from the information I had been given. Could it be possible that he was lying?

-line break party-

Percy stood up as I entered the cell, gazing at me worriedly. As soon as Ethan was gone, he spoke.

"Annabeth, what's wrong?" He asked softly.

"I know what plans Kronos has for me." I said blankly.

"What? What is it?" I wondered for a few seconds if I should tell him, then spoke.

"After my seventeenth birthday in two weeks, he is going to force me to marry him. That way, he will take over as ruler of Athens." I explained shortly.

"Surely your parents can do something about it? They won't let him take over after them, will they?" Percy asked.

"The laws are different in Athens. If it is a legal marriage, and he and I sign the papers, there is nothing they can do." As the hopelessness of the situation started to settle on both of us, I declined to tell him about the ransom note, at least for now.

"We'll find a way out of this. I promise." Percy said. I brushed my fingers across my cheek, feeling the large bruise that had appeared there already.

"How? What can I do?" I asked desperately, pacing the minuscule space of the cell in frustration.

"We'll figure it out. Athena always has a plan, right?" I stopped pacing and smiled at his attempts to cheer me up. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all.

Percy was taken from the cell not long after that, and while he was gone, another guard delivered a piece of bread and a tiny bottle of nectar, exactly the same as we had had yesterday. I ripped the bread in half, leaving the slightly bigger half for Percy when he got back, as well as the nectar. What did Kronos have planned for him? Was his death as imminent as mine?

3rd Person POV  
It was the day of Prince Perseus's disappearance, and the King and Queen of Atlantis were certain that only one person was to blame - King Frederick of Athens.  
They had immediately driven across the border that split the two cities, and raced to the palace of their great enemies in a fury. They burst into the entrance hall, which was very similar to their own, and demanded to see the king.

"Frederick!" King Poseidon yelled, striding through the halls of the palace, all of his usual posture and poise lost in a haze of anger and stress.

"Poseidon, dear, please calm down!" Pleaded Queen Sally softly, but Poseidon was too wrought with anger to hear her.

"Frederick! I demand that you return my son this instant!" He thundered, throwing open the doors to the meeting room where the peace talk had been held two years ago. King Frederick, who was sat at the head of the long oak table, looked up in astonishment from the papers he had been reading. Queen Sally put a hand on her husband's arm to stop him from speaking, and stepped towards the table.

"Frederick, I implore you to assist us in this most serious of matters. Did you have anything to do with the disappearance of our son?" She spoke calmly, yet urgently, the shock of her only son's vanishing act still burdening her.

"Perseus is gone?" Frederick spoke coldly. He had not taken kindly to his enemies arriving uninvited to his home.

"Yes, he vanished from the river, where he was fishing this morning. His old tutor was found dead." Sally's voice quavered slightly.

"My daughter, Annabeth has mysteriously disappeared, along with her new tutor. She was taking her lessons in the gardens this morning when a maid went to call them to lunch, and found them to be gone. I had nothing to do with your son." Frederick spoke without emotion, returning to his papers as soon as he had finished speaking.

"I am sorry to hear that." Sally replied stiffly. Her husband shifted uneasily next to her. If Princess Annabeth was also missing, it made it very unlikely that Frederick had taken Prince Perseus.

"I thank you for your concern." Frederick said, not looking up from his work. The King and Queen of Atlantis left the palace, and returned to the royal carriage.

"Thank you for clearing that up, though I still don't trust the man." Poseidon said to his wife as the carriage bumped across the cobbled road.

"You do not have to. I just hope Perseus is alright." Sally said fretfully. Poseidon took her hand gently.

"Our son is strong, and brave, and he can fend for himself. Wherever he is, I am sure he will return to us safely."

**I don't have much time before I get kicked off this laptop (not literally, but you know what I mean, so I will have to skip cookies this week. If you reviewed, favourited or followed, thank you so much, and I will see you next week some time. BYEEEEEEEEEEEEE**


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry it's late, I still have no laptop.**

Annabeth POV

We had been in the cell for nine days, as far as I knew. Percy and I were both starving and covered in cuts and bruises from our encounters with our captor, and we kept getting worse, as our starving bodies got weaker and the nectar became not enough to keep us alive for much longer.  
Kronos had tortured me every day, trying to get me to break and agree to marry him, and I still hadn't, though I didn't know how much longer I could last or why I was even bothering to resist. He was just trying to break me, and having fun doing it. In four days I would be married if I agreed or not, and possibly dead.

Percy had been tortured a lot more, and I always gave him a bigger portion of our daily piece of bread, though it wasn't much. We were very close now; he was probably the closest friend I had ever had. Every time he was taken by a guard, I would sit waiting, the sickening dread growing by the second.

This time, the door opened, but Percy, instead of walking in, was dragged across the floor to my feet by Ethan, his head lolling backwards and his eyes closed.

"Percy!" I practically screamed, dropping to my knees next to him. Ethan dropped him to the floor, but I caught his head before it hit the hard stone.

"What happened?" I said shrilly, resting his head in my lap. "What do you think happened?" Ethan said coldly, taking a bottle of nectar from his pocket and dropping it on the floor before striding out of the cell and locking the door. I saw a lump on his forehead under a bleeding gash, then felt for a pulse on his neck, just above the thin scar on his collarbone. To my relief, I could feel it, strong and steady, just like Percy himself.

I scanned over his body for any wounds. His shirt was torn even more, the material slashed open in multiple places showing ugly wounds of varying sizes underneath. One of the rips in the material ran practically the whole way down his chest, almost splitting the shirt in two. I took several deep breaths to calm myself, searching through my brain for any ideas that I could utilise. Suddenly, it came to me. I tore off a piece of material from his shirt that was almost ripped off completely anyway, and tore the larger piece into several smaller thin strips. Seizing the bottle of nectar, I splashed a few drops onto each of the pieces of material and cleaned the worst of the wounds gently, wiping away the blood and grime and then bandaging them. His eyelids flickered, and he winced slightly, but he still hadn't woken.

I placed a nectar-soaked strip of cloth over the gash on his head, stroking the long jet-black strands away from his pale forehead softly. With the remaining nectar, I tilted his head back and tipped it into his mouth a few drops at a time. He swallowed weakly, and a few seconds later, he coughed. A tiny, wheezy cough, but at least he was alive. His bright eyes blinked open, staring up at me in pain and confusion.

"Annabeth?" He croaked, sitting up. What I did next was so impulsive, so spontaneous, that I shocked even myself. I kissed him.

Percy POV

"Annabeth?" I croaked, sitting up. Then, out of nowhere, she kissed me, placing her hands on either side of my face. It only lasted a second, and she sat back on her heels, looking slightly embarrassed.

"I thought you were dead!" She whispered hoarsely, hugging me. I hugged her back, and as she let go, I kissed her again; something I'd wanted to do for a few days now, but this time slower, both of us aware, neither of us half-conscious. I could feel her beautiful stormy eyes on me, even in the darkness. She leaned forward so that her hand was on my chest, and we were so close, I could feel her chest moving softly as she breathed. I didn't know what to do. My mind had gone completely blank. She sat up, so that she was no longer resting on my chest, and I noticed my heart thumping. All my senses were suddenly sharpened by this wonderful new feeling. I wondered if she was feeling the same thing. Was this her first kiss, as well as mine?

"Annabeth?" I asked quietly, keeping my voice steady.

"Yes?" She replied.

"Was- do- I-" I stuttered, then sighed, frustrated as the words flew away from me.

"What is it?" She asked. We were still so close, sitting shoulder to shoulder, turned to face each other slightly. I could see every detail of her face, her long eyelashes, bow-shaped, pale pink lips, small nose dotted with just a few tiny freckles, barely visible.

"Nothing."

"You can tell me." She encouraged. I took a deep breath, rehearsing the words silently.

"I- I know that we weren't meant to meet, and we're supposed to be enemies, but… I- I think I'm in love you." Was that the right thing to say? The words stumbled out in a mad rush, the way they usually did, but I waited in quiet anticipation for her reply. Her eyes widened, in shock or embarrassment or anger, I couldn't tell.

"I love you too, Percy. More than anything, and I don't mind being here as long as I'm with you." Her voice was quiet and steady, but I could hear something else underneath the calm exterior. My mind slowly processed her words until I caught the meaning and my heart jumped, and her arms were around me, and my hands were in her hair, and I didn't care that we were starving or dying or trapped here. All I cared about was her.

Annabeth POV

I woke up on the cold stone floor, as I always did now, and opened my eyes, expecting to see Percy sat nearby, waiting. But he wasn't there. My head was throbbing, and when I put my hand to my head I felt sticky blood on my forehead.

"Percy?" I asked, turning around to see if he was on the other side of the room. He wasn't there, either.

"Annabeth!" I heard him reply, but he wasn't here.

"Where are you?" I asked, panicking slightly. Was I hallucinating?

"I'm in the cell! Where are you?"

"I'm in a cell too." Suddenly, my brain was whirring like a machine.

"I have an idea! Keep talking for a second."

"What should I say?" "Anything!" I jumped to my feet, my head spinning for a second.

"I, uh, well-"

"I've got it!" His voice was coming from a hole in the wall, covered by metal bars.

"Percy, can you see the vent in the wall?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Can you reach it?"

"Only with my hand." I saw his hand on the other side of the bars. And felt relief rush through me. I reached my hand up as far as I could, and was just able to brush my palm against the bars. I could feel the heat from his palm on mine, and his fingers slipped through the bars so that they laced in between my fingers. It was a new feeling, and I liked the tingle of joy that it sent through me.

"Annabeth, how long do we have?" Percy said suddenly. My blood ran cold. How long did I have?

"It depends on how long I was unconscious." I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

"You were silent for hours, I thought they'd killed you." Percy's voice caught.

"I think we've been here for ten days then." I replied. That meant I only had three days left...

"Oh no." I said quietly. Percy squeezed my hand reassuringly.

"Hey, you never know, we could die of hunger or blood loss before then," Percy said in what should have been a light and cheerful tone, but turned quiet as it hit both of us. It could actually happen.

**Yay, real Percabeth! (I'm sorry if it was rubbish, I have no experience in the romance department)**

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